A unique wildlife calendar is the centerpiece in the latest issue of
Outdoor Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s
official bi-monthly magazine.

Covering 24 pages in the Jan./Feb. 2001 issue, the calendar not only
showcases award-winning color photography of the state’s most scenic
landscapes and wildlife, but it also provides tips for landowners, hunters and
fishermen to improve their fishing and hunting. Each calendar month lists up to
10 suggested habitat management practices, along with interesting fish and
wildlife notes for that month. Among others, featured photographs include a
strutting tom turkey, a foggy river bottom, a sunrise on a southeast Oklahoma
stream, a whitetail buck in velvet and scenic fall shots of bull elk and
migrating waterfowl.

“We recognize the important role sound land management plays in
promoting healthy fish and wildlife habitats,” said Nels Rodefeld, Outdoor
Oklahoma editor. “From that standpoint, it’s important for the
Department to provide timely management information to those who might implement
it on the landscape. Of course, anyone with an outdoor interest will enjoy the
stunning photography.”

Rodefeld added that the current issue also features a special section
outlining odds for drawing hunts through the Department’s controlled hunts
program. It also contains an article on the agency’s Information and Education
Division, along with two popular magazine mainstays – Off the Beaten Path and
Watchable Wildlife Profile. The Jan./Feb. Watchable Wildlife Profile features
the porcupine.

“The controlled hunts information can help hunters better prioritize
the hunts they apply for,” he said. “And we’ve received numerous comments
from hunters who used the information to improve their odds. For those who like
to study data, this is a must-see issue.”

Individual copies of the Jan./Feb. 2001 issue of Outdoor Oklahoma are
available for $3 if picked up at any of the Wildlife Department’s offices, or
$4 by mail (mail to Outdoor Oklahoma, 1801 N. Lincoln, Oklahoma City, OK 73105).
One-year subscriptions, which are only $10, are available by calling
1-800-777-0019, or you can order over the Internet by logging on to the
Department’s website at www.wildlifedepartment.com.

Hunters and trappers wanting to sell their furs will have an opportunity
Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Agri-Civic Center in Chandler, and based on initial
market reports, prices will be better than last year.

The auction, sponsored by the First Oklahoma Trappers and Predator
Callers Association, begins at 9 a.m., with doors opening at 8 a.m. The building
will also be open from 2-6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, for sellers to bring their furs
and register.

“Fur markets change daily, but the trend is for higher demand, and
better prices, especially on the top-end furs,” said Bill Jackson, auction
coordinator. “The colder weather has also helped, making furs primer and more
marketable. Stabilizations of financial markets in China, Russia, Korea and
Japan have also helped create higher prices.”

Results from a fur auction held in Kansas in mid-January provide a
reasonable baseline for what hunters and trappers might expect from the Chandler
sale. Average and top prices for pelts sold in Kansas were as follows:

Bobcat: $25 average and $43 high;

Raccoon: $9 average and $21 high;

Skunks: $8 average;

Beaver: $10 average and $20 high;

and Coyote: No furs offered.

Jackson said furs may be sold stretched or green, but that all sellers
must have a valid hunting or trapping license from Oklahoma or their respective
state. All bobcats must have an export tag affixed to the pelt before it can be
sold. Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation personnel will be on hand to
tag bobcats. Bobcats from other states must have export tags on the pelts before
entering Oklahoma.

For reservations or more information on the auction, contact Jackson at
918/336-8154.

In a ceremony Jan. 25, partners of the Playa Lakes Joint Venture
(PLVJ)
honored Phillips Petroleum Company's commitment to support habitat conservation
projects for waterfowl and other wildlife. †Since 1990, Phillips has
contributed nearly $1.1 million to protect, enhance, and restore wetlands in the
playa lakes region of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado and Kansas.

Additionally, Dr. L.J. Mayeux, president of Ducks Unlimited, presented the
organization's top award to Jim Mulva, president and chief executive officer of
Phillips Petroleum Co., at a luncheon at the company's headquarters in
Bartlesville, OK.

“The Diamond Legacy award is the most prestigious of all awards from Ducks
Unlimited,” said Mayeux. “It honors donors whose commitment to waterfowl and
wetlands conservation reaches $1 million or more in contributions-but the value
of the contributions is even greater to the waterfowl and other wildlife who
depend on wetlands to survive and to the people who care about our natural
resources. To them, the value of a Diamond Legacy contribution is immeasurable.”

“I am honored to accept this award on behalf of Phillips Petroleum Company,”
said Mulva. “We are proud to be a partner in habitat conservation work that
ensures a special place where waterfowl and other wildlife can come to rest,
feed, and reproduce. We are especially pleased that our contributions have been
matched many times over by other partners to leverage the dollars in the most
efficient and effective manner possible. I would like to express our sincere
gratitude to the entire Playa Lakes Joint Venture for honoring Phillips
Petroleum Co.”

The ceremony also commemorated the 10-year anniversary of the Playa Lakes
Joint Venture, a public-private partnership comprised of corporations,
conservation organizations and state and federal agencies, which was formed in
1990 under the auspices of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.

PLJV funding has helped restore and enhance nearly 8,000 acres of critical
habitat in Oklahoma. The Hackberry Flat restoration project (7,100 acres) in
Tillman County near Frederick is the largest and most acclaimed project within
the playa lakes region. Additional Oklahoma projects supported by PLJV dollars
include the Cimarron playa in Cimarron county, Lunsford playa in Beaver county
and Packsaddle Wildlife Management Area playa in Ellis county.

“Partners come together to accomplish collectively what is often difficult
or impossible to do individually,” says Ross Melinchuk, chairman of the PLJV.
“It takes cooperation and teamwork from many different types of organizations
and agencies to accomplish Joint Venture objectives. All of our partners should
be recognized for 10 years of hard work and determination to turn goals into
reality for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife-and Phillips
Petroleum Company has played a pivotal role in this success story.”

The PLJV Management Board partners include, alphabetically, the Colorado
Division of Wildlife, Ducks Unlimited, the Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks,
the Nature Conservancy of Texas, the New Mexico Dept. of Game & Fish, the
Oklahoma Dept. of Wildlife Conservation, Pheasants Forever, Phillips Petroleum
Company, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept., Texas Tech University, the Texas
Waterfowlers Association, the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service.

The PLJV partners work together to conserve playa basins, saline lakes,
marshes, and riparian environments. The long-term objectives of the PLJV are to
protect, restore and enhance 86,000 acres of critical habitat. Since 1990,
partners have spent more than $9.2 million to protect, restore and enhance
55,000 acres.

Each spring and fall, 15 million birds migrate through the five-state region,
with about one-third of the birds wintering in the 200,000-square-mile Playa
Lakes region. An aquifer beneath this area is the largest in North America and
gives rise to the vital wetlands that support millions of migratory and resident
birds as well as other wildlife.

Playa Lakes Joint Venture projects will provide a reliable source of water
during critically dry times of the year. Water levels are managed according to
the habitat needs of waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, and other wetland
wildlife. At times, the area's wetlands will no doubt be the only migration,
wintering, and breeding habitat available in the Playa Lakes region.

Partners, including hundreds of private landowners, have demonstrated how
corporations, agencies, and conservation-minded individuals can work together to
safeguard our natural resources for the benefit of all society.

At its regular January meeting, held Jan. 8 in
Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission was
recognized by Governor Frank Keating for its role in providing 25
years of outdoor programming through the Wildlife Department's
weekly TV program, Outdoor Oklahoma.

"It's a very impressive legacy of
celebrating our outdoor heritage," Keating said, referring
to Outdoor Oklahoma's 25th anniversary. "I watch Outdoor
Oklahoma frequently, and it has a very high viewership across
the state."

Keating also presented the Oklahoma Education
Television Authority (OETA) with a proclamation recognizing
OETA's partnership with the Department in producing the show.
Airing twice weekly on OETA  6 p.m. Saturday, and 8 a.m.
Sunday  Outdoor Oklahoma also can be seen on the KSBI
network at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, 5 p.m. on Monday, and 10:30 p.m.,
Thursday. An avid conservationist and outdoor enthusiast, Keating
himself has appeared on the show, along with his wife, Cathy, and
son, Chip.

Following the Governor's presentation, the
Wildlife Commission voted to allow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service to purchase 357 acres for the Deep Fork National Wildlife
Refuge in eastcentral Oklahoma, and 670 acres for the Little
River National Wildlife Refuge, located in far southeast
Oklahoma's McCurtain County.

The property is being offered by willing
sellers, but because the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans on
using duck stamp funds to purchase the land, state approval is
required. In discussing the sale, several Commissioners indicated
they would like to see the Fish and Wildlife Service continue to
increase hunting and fishing opportunities at national wildlife
refuges in Oklahoma, especially at the Deep Fork and Little River NWRs.

Wildlife Department Executive Director Greg
Duffy recognized five Department employees for their tenure with
the agency. Dennis Maxwell, assistant chief of law enforcement;
Larry Manering, district one law enforcement chief; and Jim Rolin
and Carlton Sallee, both law enforcement supervisors, were each
recognized for their 25 years of service to the Department and
state sportsmen. All four are excellent ambassadors for the
agency, Duffy said. Also recognized at the January meeting was
Dennis Geary, wildlife biologist at Fobb Bottom and Texoma WMAs.
Geary has 20 years of service with the Department.

The Commission's regular February meeting will
be held Monday, Feb. 5, at 9 a.m. at the Wildlife Department's
headquarters in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma has an abundance of fishing
opportunities, but many Oklahomans still have not experienced the
thrill of fishing and catching their first fish.

To help expose Oklahomans of all ages to the
timeless thrills of fishing, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation offers basic angling instruction through its Aquatic
Resources Education Program. The program is supported by
volunteers which share their angling knowledge with those just
starting out.

"Volunteers are very important to this
program," said Damon Springer, aquatic resources education
coordinator for the Department. "Most anglers are introduced
to fishing by a family member or friend, but there are a lot of
kids who have never had a chance to go fishing. The Aquatic
Resources Education Program can provide them that
opportunity."

Volunteer instructors are trained to coordinate
and instruct beginning anglers at fishing clinics and other
educational events. A typical clinic consists of several
educational stations such as fish I.D., proper casting technique,
outdoor ethics, knot tying and water safety. After completing the
education portion, clinic participants test their newly acquired
knowledge at a local fishing hole.

"We would not be able to provide the
number of clinics we do without help from our volunteers, and
we're always looking for new volunteers," Springer added.
"Fishing clinics provide many kids and adults with their
first fishing opportunity, and we want it to be an enjoyable
experience. Our trained volunteer instructors share their
knowledge and offer a helping hand to clinic participants,
allowing those who attend to feel more secure and the opportunity
to simply enjoy themselves."

Volunteers must be 18 years or older and must
attend a free volunteer instructor workshop. A workshop will be
held Jan. 30, 6-9 p.m. at the Department's Oklahoma City
headquarters at 1801 N. Lincoln Blvd. (one block south of the
State Capitol Bldg.). Pre-registration is required. For
information, call (405) 521-4603.

Anglers can get a jump on the action by
checking out the Oklahoma Bass Tournaments 2000 Annual Report.
The report ranks the top 22 bass lakes in Oklahoma based on
fishing results from more than 700 tournaments held in 2000,
providing anglers and tournament directors useful information for
future outings.

The 14-page report is compiled by personnel
from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's Fishery
Research Lab in Norman. Charts within the report contain
statistics such as angler success, average number of bass caught
per day, average weight per bass caught and the number of hours
of fishing taken to catch a bass five pounds or larger at
specified lakes.

"The data generated from tournament
anglers provides very useful information for fisheries biologist
to help gauge trends in bass populations at specific lakes,"
said Gene Gilliland, senior fisheries biologist for the
Department. "We can't survey every lake every year during
our spring electrofishing surveys, so the tournament data is very
important. It provides us continuous information on fishing
conditions and success at these lakes.

"The program is voluntary, but tournament
officials are contributing more data every year," he added.
"This information benefits everyone in the long run. The
more we know about bass populations in Oklahoma lakes, the better
informed our management decisions will be."

Based on the 2000 data, Okemah Lake took the
state's top honors. Kerr Lake came in second and Keystone Lake
placed third in the rankings which factored five angling quality
measurements.

Additional highlights from this year's report
include the following:

 Each tournament averaged 51 bass
weighing 119.85 pounds.

 The average bass weighed 2.35 pounds.

 The average first-place weight was 12.31
pounds, the highest seen since the program began in 1994.

 A report about the Largemouth Bass
Virus.

 Tournament report cards and
instructions.

 Table outlining the top 22 bass lakes in
Oklahoma based on angler success, average weight per bass, number
of bass caught per day, hours fishing per bass greater five
pounds and average first place weight.

The reports are available by calling the
Department's Fishery Research Lab at 405/325-7288.

The 2001 Oklahoma Fishing Guides will soon be
available statewide at sporting goods stores and fishing license
dealers. The 31-page booklets not only list regulations governing
fishing in the state, but they also contain fishing tips and
other helpful information.

The booklet outlines new regulations for 2001
and provides regional listings of lake-specific regulations. A
sport fish of Oklahoma chart is also provided in the centerfold.
The chart covers preferred spawning temperatures and locations,
best bait choices and prime feeding times and key fishing areas
for common fish species.

All of Oklahoma's state designated trout areas
also are outlined in the new guide. Maps, individual area
regulations and trout fishing tips are provided to help anglers
enjoy greater success. Lake descriptions and contact information
and a list of enclosed fishing docks also are listed in this
year's booklets.

Anyone with questions about fishing in Oklahoma
or about state fishing regulations should contact their local
game warden, or contact the Department's Fisheries Division at
(405) 521-3721. Further information also is available at wildlifedepartment.com.

While ushering in a new year on the calendar,
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation officials remind
sportsmen to renew their annual hunting and fishing licenses.

To hunt or fish, sportsmen must possess a 2001
annual hunting and fishing license, said Melinda Sturgess, chief
of administration for the Department. The exceptions are the
Trapping and Bobcat-Raccoon-Gray Fox licenses, which expire Jan.
31 and Feb. 28, respectively.

For those who enjoy both hunting and fishing,
sportsmen can save more than 15 percent off the cost of
individual hunting and fishing licenses by purchasing an annual
combination license.

"A combination license is a great
bargain," Sturgess said, "and it means one less license
you have to carry, especially if you purchase some of the
auxiliary permits at the same time."

Some of the more popular auxiliary permits are
the special trout fishing permit, as well as permits for deer and
turkey. Another auxiliary permit available is the unique Land
Access Fee. For just $16, the permit gives hunters and anglers a
passport to enjoy more than 725,000 acres of the Three Rivers and
Honobia Creek wildlife management areas in southeast Oklahoma.

License requirements and exemptions are
outlined in the Oklahoma Hunting Guide and Regulations and
the Oklahoma Fishing Guide. These publications are
available at hunting and fishing license dealers statewide.

Those who have questions about hunting and
fishing license requirements should contact their local game
wardens. The Oklahoma Hunting Guide and Regulations
contains a complete list of game wardens and phone numbers for
the entire state. Information is also available from the
Department's licensing section at (405)521-4629 or at wildlifedepartment.com.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation is responsible for managing Oklahoma's fish and
wildlife resources. The department does not receive any general
state tax revenues to accomplish its mission. Its operations are
funded primarily from revenue generated by the sale of hunting
and fishing licenses, and also from revenue generated by special
excise taxes on guns, ammunition, motorboat fuel and fishing
equipment.

The small bobber twitched, then slowly
disappeared in the clear, blue water. The excited angler paused,
then swept his spinning rod upward. After a brief tussle, he held
a colorful rainbow trout in his hand.

With winter's cold setting its sights directly
on the Sooner State, most anglers have traded their fishing rods
for VCR remotes. But unlike many warm-water species, trout favor
cold water and will actively attack an angler's bait this time of
year. And with six wintertime and two year-round state-designated
trout areas, there are good trout fishing opportunities within an
easy drive of most anglers.

"The newest trout area is Pawhuska Lake,
located in Osage County," said Barry Bolton, assistant chief
of fisheries in charge of management for the Oklahoma Department
of Wildlife Conservation. "Pawhuska is a clear-water lake
with good bank fishing access. This area should be especially
attractive to Tulsa-area anglers and those who live in
north-central Oklahoma."

Bolton said that the Department also has
adjusted its stocking strategy this winter and will be
incorporating some large (14- to 24-inch) rainbow trout into its
stocking schedules for each area and encourages anglers to
periodically check the Department's official website
(wildlifedepartment.com) for an updated stocking schedule.

Complete details on the Wildlife Department's
trout areas, along with season dates, regulations, fishing tips
and area maps are printed in the 2001 Oklahoma Fishing Guide.

"We certainly encourage anyone who enjoys
fishing to give one of our trout areas a try this winter,"
Bolton said. "It's a fun activity and can really help cure
cabin fever."

Anglers are reminded that anyone fishing in a
designated trout area must have the required $7.75 trout permit.
There are no exemptions, including lifetime license holders and
nonresidents.